Spelling Bee in the News
Listed chronologically, newest ones first.
I’m a writer, so how does my statistician partner beat me at word games?Kerri SackvilleWA Today [Western Australia Today]June 30 2024 (it's already tomorrow Down Under)https://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-m-a-writer-so-how-does-my-statistician-partner-beat-me-at-word-games-20240612-p5jl8c.html"Most mornings, as we sip our coffees, my partner and I play Wordle. …The trouble comes when we play Spelling Bee, which is not at all a game of chance… Now, I am a writer. I work with words. I should be good at this game. But ‘should be’ doesn’t always translate to ‘is’, and … I am not good at this game. It can take me hours to spot the seven-letter word, and I often miss it entirely. And this would be fine – we’re all bad at something! – except that my partner gets it quickly, almost every single time."
If AI is going to take over the world, why can’t it solve the Spelling Bee?Billions of dollars in investment have met their match with a simple word game.Pranav DixitYahoo Finance, 13 June 2024https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/if-ai-is-going-to-take-over-the-world-why-cant-it-solve-the-spelling-bee-170034469.htmlMy task for our AI overlords was simple: help me crack the New York Times Spelling Bee.“I had spent a large chunk of a Saturday evening trying to shape the letters G, Y, A, L, P, O and N into as many words as possible. But three hours, 141 points and 37 words — including “nonapology”, “lagoon” and “analogy” — later, I had hit a wall. … so I fired up ChatGPT, told it I was trying to win the Spelling Bee, gave it my letters and laid out the rules. “Give me a list of every word that can be formed with them,” I typed. “You’re allowed to repeat letters, but each word must contain ‘N’.” When I hit enter, this is what ChatGPT spat back: GLNPAYO. YPNL. PGNOYL. ONAPYLG”
AI’s Challenge with Word Puzzles Amidst Rising ExpectationsKevin TopolskyELBLOG: AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, IoT, and More: Exploring the Top Trending Technologies of TodayJune 13, 2024https://elblog.pl/2024/06/13/ais-challenge-with-word-puzzles-amidst-rising-expectations/“The New York Times Spelling Bee proved to be an unexpectedly tough nut to crack for artificial intelligence….”
The Day My Dad Stopped Doing the NYT Spelling BeeBy Elissa JacobsThe Bucket April 19 2024 {?}https://thebucket.com/living-fully/the-day-my-dad-stopped-doing-the-nyt-spelling-bee/
Why the New York Times is forging connections with gamers as it diversifies its audienceAlexander Lee Digiday, April 19, 2024https://digiday.com/marketing/why-the-new-york-times-is-forging-connections-with-gamers-as-it-diversifies-its-audience/“NYT Games also has an avid fan base. When it comes to puzzle games, the quality of New York Times games is so far above the competition that they may as well not exist. ... Since acquiring Wordle, The New York Times has used its gaming product as a funnel to bring subscribers into the Times fold. ... [re: the] games-specific subscription, [there are now] over a million subscribers who specifically pay to access NYT Games content.”
Shrinks Think New York Times’ Wordle Is Becoming a Problem: The Games app is a crutch for some patients, and a stress-inducer for others.Pilar MelendezThe Daily Beast, April 18, 2024https://www.thedailybeast.com/therapists-say-the-new-york-times-wordle-game-is-a-problem
‘New York Times’ and the puzzle warsMarch 31, 2024National Public Radio, All Things Consideredhttps://www.npr.org/2024/03/31/1241923496/new-york-times-and-the-puzzle-warsThe New York Times is dominating a gaming business that many other media organizations are trying to break into. (Five-minute audio; complete transcript at the link.)
NYT Spelling Bee – Game Rules snd HelpWordsRated.com. March 4, 2024https://wordsrated.com/nyt-spelling-bee-game-rules-and-help/
Inside the mind of New York Times Mini maker Joel FaglianoKeith StuartEurogamer, February 25, 2024https://www.eurogamer.net/inside-the-mind-of-new-york-times-mini-maker-joel-faglianoIn this lengthy and detailed interview, there is some discussion of the Spelling Bee, specifically, the internal testing of the Bee and other NYT puzzles.
Games can bring us distraction, satisfactionKaren CysonTimes Writers GroupJanuary 21, 2024https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2024/01/21/karen-cyson-games-can-bring-us-distraction-satisfaction/72267124007/Hi. I’m Karen and I’m a New York Times games addict. (Your response: Hi, Karen)It started simply. I read the paper every day; I saw the mini crossword. I thought: oh, this might be fun and certainly less daunting than the “real” crossword.And so it began.Then someone mentioned that I should try Wordle. …But have you tried Connections? No, I hadn’t. So I did. …Look at the Spelling Bee game. Isn’t it cute? It looks like a sweet little flower, with bees buzzing around it. Beware. Poppies are lovely flowers also, waving in the breeze, bright and pretty. Lovely and addictive. …[worth three minutes of your reading time]
When the NYT Spelling Bee Puzzle Drives You Bonkers with Unacceptable Words.Aria Singh, January 18, 2024https://www.askhandle.com/blog/does-it-make-anyone-else-nuts-when-the-nyt-spelling-bee-puzzle-wont-accept-a-legitimate-word-today-its-rachitic-and-its-making-me-crazy
Thanks to invasive shrubs, birds need a nutrition makeover.The Lakeville (CT) Observer, January 17, 2014https://lakevillejournal.com/thanks-to-invasive-shrubs-birds-need-a-nutrition-makeover“[F]ierce advocates of native plants…identify species almost competitively, the way someone might with the New York Times Spelling Bee.”
How Three Brands Are Using OOH to Amplify Gamification StrategiesAndrew TurnerChief Marketer, January 16, 2024https://chiefmarketer.com/how-three-brands-are-using-ooh-to-amplify-gamification-strategies/A brief look at how three major brands use out of home (OOH) strategies to attract audiences and build brand loyalty. The New York Times games team is highlighted for its 2022 marketing program for the Spelling Bee aimed at transit riders. Read the NYT’s news release about that program here.
The Noble Art of the New York Times Spelling Bee: A healthy, brain-exercising addiction.Amy Abbott via Substack, January 14, 2024https://amyabbott.substack.com/p/the-noble-art-of-the-new-york-times“One of the best things about Spelling Bee is that it is highly unpredictable. There may be days of difficult puzzles, followed by days of difficult puzzles, and vice versa. Repetition doesn’t get a reward, so one is always surprised.”
Every New York Times Game, RankedJacqueline ZalaceThe Gamer, January 12, 2024https://www.thegamer.com/new-york-times-games-ranked/“New York Times puzzles have taken the world by storm. While daily mini-games have always existed, ones like Wordle have really popularized the daily brain game scene. Many of you are familiar with Wordle, but did you know that there are even more NYT games out there? Here, we are going to see how these games stack up against each other. Although this list ranks NYT games from worst to best, it’s important to note that all of these games are great; there is no ‘bad’ option. Still, some are a bit better than others, so we will figure out which games come out victorious.”
Inside the New York Times’ Big Bet on GamesVanity Fair, December 19, 2023Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The Times is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “Times is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”https://www.vanityfair.com/news/inside-the-new-york-times-big-bet-on-gamesPLUSGo behind the scenes of Vanity Fair’s photoshoot with the brains behind the New York Times’ games.a very brief video https://www.vanityfair.com/video/watch/inside-the-new-york-times-growing-wordleverse
Join the Buzz: The New York Times Engages Readers in Creating a Bee-themed DictionaryBaltimore Gay Life, November 18, 2023https://www.baltimoregaylife.com/baltimore-lgbtq-community-news-and-resources-november-18-2023-answers/A short paean to the NYT Spelling Bee and its hivemind. It contains errors, but the tone is cheery and respectful.
A Guide to The New York Times GamesThe Harvard Crimson, November 14, 2023https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/14/nyt-new-york-times-games-crossword-wordle-guide-article/The article consists of a short para on each of several NYT games. On the Spelling Bee, the author notes: “Invented in 2014, the Spelling Bee is a game in which the player must create as many words as possible using seven letters.[*] The word must be at least four letters long, and any letter can be used any number of times, as long as the center letter is included at least once. Once finished, a player can achieve Queen Bee status. The best of the best call themselves ‘The Hivemind,’ who dedicate time to helping others through the game. There is an avid following and excellent community for this game, which adds to its appeal.”
This wouldn’t have anything to do with the Spelling Bee, would it?Lake Placid News, November 11, 2023https://www.lakeplacidnews.com/opinion/columns/2023/10/26/martha-sez-this-wouldnt-have-anything-to-do-with-the-spelling-bee-would-it/“Ever since my neighbor Phyllis found out that her sister had achieved Genius status on the New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle, she has just been impossible.”
How Puzzles and Procrastination Impact Academic Life.The (Arizona) State Press, November 8, 2023https://www.statepress.com/article/2023/11/nyt-games-procrastination-and-academic-stress# “Students share their experiences playing games such as Wordle, Connections, crosswords and Sudoku to decompress from academic pressures” [also mentions the Spelling Bee]
How The New York Times is making connections with puzzles and gamesRob TornoeEditor & PublisherOctober 17, 2023https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/new-york-times-makes-a-connection-with-puzzles-and-games,246051
‘I’m Somewhat of a Gamer Now Myself,’ Says Mom Referring To New York Times Spelling BeeJus KaplanHard Drive, October 12, 2023https://hard-drive.net/hd/video-games/im-somewhat-of-a-gamer-now-myself-says-mom-referring-to-new-york-times-spelling-bee/“Steph is hands down the best Spelling Bee player in our office. Every day our team does the puzzle during lunch and she always guesses the pangram way before anyone else,” said Vaughn. “She has been getting a bit carried away recently, though. Yesterday when our manager couldn’t make it past the ‘Solid’ rank, she laughed and said ‘Get good, noob’ in front of everyone. Then when she reached ‘Genius’ she stood up and shouted ‘G-G-E-Z’, whatever that means. It was kind of startling.”
The Cultural Tapestry of the New York Times Spelling BeeNewsbreak, October 10, 2023https://original.newsbreak.com/@author-1782049/3190353010048-the-cultural-tapestry-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee
Spelling Bee’s evolving word listAxios, June 5, 2023https://www.axios.com/2023/06/05/spelling-bee-evolving-word-list
A world beyond Wordle: how games became a big deal at the New York TimesKeith StuartEuroGamer, April 2, 2023https://www.eurogamer.net/a-world-beyond-wordle-how-games-became-a-big-deal-at-the-new-york-timesThis is lengthy, thoughtful interview with Jonathan Knight, who heads up the NYT’s Games division. Interesting quote: “On something like Spelling Bee, we have an editor, Sam Ezersky, who curates that everyday and he has a specific lens - he wants to make sure that all the possible words are recognisable and that you’re not held back because you don’t know some completely obscure word - but he also wants to make sure he’s not banning obscure words that are legitimate. Every week there’s a furore over some word that he banned that should have been allowed. There’s a balance there between challenge and fun, and we want you to feel great when you solve the puzzle.”
‘The next level for us’: The New York Times eyes better retention for games in subscription driveSeb JosephDigiday, March 22, 2023https://digiday.com/media/the-next-level-for-us-the-new-york-times-eyes-longer-play-sessions-for-games-in-subscription-drive/
How the New York Times is building a games platform around WordleGamesBeat, February 18, 2023https://venturebeat.com/games/how-the-new-york-times-is-expanding-into-puzzle-games-like-wordle/Transcript of an interview with Jonathan Knight, head of NYT’s games division.
Are You A NYT Spelling Bee Addict, Too?Stacey EskelinCappuccino (Substack), January 28, 2023https://cappuccino.substack.com/p/are-you-a-nyt-spelling-bee-addictA very funny article that also includes tips and tricks and this pithy observation: “Acceptable words do not include words that are hyphenated, a proper noun, or that qualify as ‘obscure,’ except when they’re totally obscure, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
From The 15th Annual Shorty Awards: The New York Times Games Spelling Bee Audience Honor In Local Campaign [2023]https://shortyawards.com/15th/the-new-york-times-games-spelling-bee “The Spelling Bee Forum, where players discuss the daily puzzle, share gameplay tips and list solution hints with each other, has become the most visited page of The New York Times every single day. We [at NYT] wanted to help new players discover this passionate community and love of the game by driving trial of Spelling Bee to bring new players into the game and expand the hive.”
How to Win the New York Times Spelling Bee Every Single TimeGael Fashingbauer CooperCNET, July 19, 2022https://www.cnet.com/culture/how-to-win-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-every-single-time/
queen bees and geniusesJane C. Hu The Last Word on Nothing (shared writers’ blog), July 13, 2022https://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2022/07/13/queen-bees-and-geniuses/“I have become so dependent on this habit of mine that last weekend, upon waking up in the forest, I realized I had no reception and felt a twinge of disappointment that I couldn’t do Spelling Bee while drinking my instant coffee.”
A Ludicrously Deep Dive Into the Birds of Spelling Bee, Wordle, Scrabble, and MoreAudubon Magazine, May 2, 2022https://www.audubon.org/news/a-ludicrously-deep-dive-birds-spelling-bee-wordle-scrabble-and-more
How Wordle brought us back together: Spelling Bee, too, and Words with Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?Schuyler VelascoExperience Magazine, May 2022https://expmag.com/2022/05/how-wordle-brought-us-back-together/
How Word Puzzles Tickle the Brain and Satisfy the SoulA.J. JacobsLiterary Hub, April 27, 2022https://lithub.com/how-word-puzzles-tickle-the-brain-and-satisfy-the-soul/A delightful article combining one player’s middle-of-the-night word finding with an interview with the puzzle editor.
What is the ‘New York Times’ Spelling Bee Game?Liam McEneaneyWGTC, March 2, 2022https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/what-is-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game/ While Wordle retains buzz among Nerdles, the New York Times’ Spelling Bee has an equally passionate fanbase. …the open chat forum that runs alongside the puzzle on theTimes site can become a hive of controversy, as players give each other clues and argue amongst each other about the unfairness of posting “spoilers,” as well as the futility of asking strangers on the Internet not to post spoilers. Befitting the readership of a paper nicknamed “The Grey Lady,” these arguments are often more genteel — and far more accurately-spelled — than similar quarrels on open bulletin boards like Reddit.
Leadership Lessons Courtesy of The New York Times Spelling BeeCause and Effect Strategies, March 2, 2022https://causeandeffectstrategies.com/blog/leadership-lessons-courtesy-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee“Some days, the SB is a slog of boring short words or uninteresting suffixes. I delight in finding long words, whether compound or not, and stopping every once in a while to clear my head, stare at the letters, and wait for my brain to see something new. At the bottom of the app screen, between the “delete” and “enter” buttons, is an icon with two arrows forming a circle. Tap it, and it rearranges the letters. And with that, the SB offers a simple, elegant lesson for us all: When you’re stuck on a problem, just try looking at it in a different way.”
Finding the Hardest Spelling Bee Puzzle: An Unnecessarily Detailed Analysis of Word Puzzles From The New York TimesMarch, 2022 https://christopherwolfram.com/projects/spelling-bee/ “The rules are so simple that the game sounds trivial, but it isn’t (at least for us humans). This got me thinking about mathematically modeling difficulty in Spelling Bee puzzles, which led me down the rabbit hole of exploring the space of all possible Spelling Bee puzzles, and how the puzzles published by The New York Times fit into that space. Along the way, I found the easiest and hardest possible puzzles (as well as the easiest and hardest that The New York Times has ever published), and lots of other results in this unnecessarily detailed analysis of the Spelling Bee. ...” [A quick scan revealed some misconceptions about the Bee (e.g., “the goal is to list as many words as possible” and “The objective is to get the highest possible score” and “there is no fixed score required to “win”) and the author seems to have failed to notice that the Bee never includes E+R.]
Beyond Wordle: The New York Times Games Section, Explained: Wordle joins an impressive roster of brain bafflers including Spelling Bee and the New York Times crossword.Dan AveryCNET, February 21, 2022https://www.cnet.com/culture/internet/beyond-wordle-best-word-games-in-the-new-york-times/
5 lessons about innovation from the New York Times spelling bee: When you think you’ve thought of everything, you haven’t.Jake CarterFast Company, February 9, 2022https://www.fastcompany.com/90720208/5-lessons-about-innovation-from-the-new-york-times-spelling-beeAs someone who spends my days helping companies think about innovation, I can’t help but see similarities between the word game and best practices around the process of ideation. Given that, [here] are five ideation lessons you can learn from the NYT Spelling Bee.
To Bee or Not to Bee: A writer questions her confounding addiction to the popular New York Times word game — especially at 3 a.m.Liane Kupferberg CarterNext Avenue, February 9, 2022https://www.nextavenue.org/to-bee-or-not-to-bee/“Spelling Bee, I just can’t quit you. I’ve been sucked into a black hole. Utterly possessed. Even in my sleep, I’m seeing honeycomb grids and combining letters. Last night I was so elated dreaming that I’d found the words “inculcate” and “indoctrinate” that it made me wonder if it’s time for an intervention.”
Who Will Win the War of the Wordles? Letter puzzles have taken over social media. Is it an innocent pastime or etymological bloodsport?Christopher BonanosTown and Country, January 31, 2022https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38899912/wordle-spelling-bee-games/ “Wordle lets you brag about how efficiently you solved it that day; Spelling Bee additionally lets you brag about not solving it because you know too much.”
What we’re obsessed with right now: The New York Times’ Spelling BeeNina GarinSan Diego Union-Tribune, January 16, 2022https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/story/2022-01-16/what-were-obsessed-with-right-now-new-york-times-spelling-bee
New York Times newsroom rocked by a new public rift — over Spelling Bee gameBy Social Links forOli ColemanNew York Post, October 14, 2021, updated October 15, 2021https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/nyt-newsroom-rocked-by-a-new-public-rift-over-spelling-bee-game/Obviously tongue-in-cheek.
The bee in my bonnet: Beeatrice Buzzby is prudish, politically correct, mildly woke, and probably suffering from selective cultural blindnessThe Hindu, September 17, 2021 [paywalled]https://www.thehindu.com/society/the-bee-in-my-bonnet/article36510266.ece
Facing Post-Trump Slowdown, New York Times Eyes $100 Billion Games MarketBloomberg, March 18, 2021https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-18/new-york-times-games-spelling-bee-the-mini-offset-news-slowdown#xj4y7vzkgpaywalled, but the text is here:https://jacklimpert.com/2021/03/new-york-times-13/“The most searched-for terms on the New York Times website [in 2020] weren’t ‘Trump’ or ‘Biden’ or even ‘coronavirus.’ They were ‘crosswords’ and ‘Spelling Bee.’”
To Bee or Not to Bee?Nancy FriedmanVocabulary.com blog, March 18, 2021https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/candlepwr/to-bee-or-not-to-bee/
Style Conversational Week 1428: Return of the Seven: The Empress of the Style Invitational -- plus NYT Spelling Bee man Ezersky -- on this week’s neologismsWashington Post, March 18, 2021https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/03/18/style-conversational-week-1428-return-seven/
On Bee-ingSteven HellerDesign Observer, December 23, 2020https://designobserver.com/feature/on-bee-ing/40373A designer’s “addiction” to the New York Times Spelling Bee, which he calls “equal parts joy and torture.”
secrets of the spelling beeNothing to Prove (blog), November 16, 2020https://mattomath.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/secrets-of-the-spelling-bee/Interesting statistics and speculations about the Bee lexicon and the rates at which words are added
The New York Times Spelling Bee game makes sense during these scrambled timesJim MemmottRochester Democrat and Chronicle, August 24, 2020https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/memmott/2020/08/24/the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game-makes-sense-during-these-scrambled-times/113474864/My wife stares at a computer screen. “I’m great,” she says, frustration evident. I know at this moment that she’s working through The New York Times game called Spelling Bee.
Spelling Bee: Why I’m Completely Obsessed with The Best Puzzle on The InternetGrazia, July 25, 2020https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/in-the-news/new-york-times-spelling-bee/
The NYT Spelling Bee Gives Me L-I-F-E. In the real world, I am me. In Bee world I’m an Amazing! Genius!Slate, February 19, 2020https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/02/spelling-bee-new-york-times-praise.html
I’m a writer, so how does my statistician partner beat me at word games?Kerri SackvilleWA Today [Western Australia Today]June 30 2024 (it's already tomorrow Down Under)https://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-m-a-writer-so-how-does-my-statistician-partner-beat-me-at-word-games-20240612-p5jl8c.html"Most mornings, as we sip our coffees, my partner and I play Wordle. …The trouble comes when we play Spelling Bee, which is not at all a game of chance… Now, I am a writer. I work with words. I should be good at this game. But ‘should be’ doesn’t always translate to ‘is’, and … I am not good at this game. It can take me hours to spot the seven-letter word, and I often miss it entirely. And this would be fine – we’re all bad at something! – except that my partner gets it quickly, almost every single time."
If AI is going to take over the world, why can’t it solve the Spelling Bee?Billions of dollars in investment have met their match with a simple word game.Pranav DixitYahoo Finance, 13 June 2024https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/if-ai-is-going-to-take-over-the-world-why-cant-it-solve-the-spelling-bee-170034469.htmlMy task for our AI overlords was simple: help me crack the New York Times Spelling Bee.“I had spent a large chunk of a Saturday evening trying to shape the letters G, Y, A, L, P, O and N into as many words as possible. But three hours, 141 points and 37 words — including “nonapology”, “lagoon” and “analogy” — later, I had hit a wall. … so I fired up ChatGPT, told it I was trying to win the Spelling Bee, gave it my letters and laid out the rules. “Give me a list of every word that can be formed with them,” I typed. “You’re allowed to repeat letters, but each word must contain ‘N’.” When I hit enter, this is what ChatGPT spat back: GLNPAYO. YPNL. PGNOYL. ONAPYLG”
AI’s Challenge with Word Puzzles Amidst Rising ExpectationsKevin TopolskyELBLOG: AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, IoT, and More: Exploring the Top Trending Technologies of TodayJune 13, 2024https://elblog.pl/2024/06/13/ais-challenge-with-word-puzzles-amidst-rising-expectations/“The New York Times Spelling Bee proved to be an unexpectedly tough nut to crack for artificial intelligence….”
The Day My Dad Stopped Doing the NYT Spelling BeeBy Elissa JacobsThe Bucket April 19 2024 {?}https://thebucket.com/living-fully/the-day-my-dad-stopped-doing-the-nyt-spelling-bee/
Why the New York Times is forging connections with gamers as it diversifies its audienceAlexander Lee Digiday, April 19, 2024https://digiday.com/marketing/why-the-new-york-times-is-forging-connections-with-gamers-as-it-diversifies-its-audience/“NYT Games also has an avid fan base. When it comes to puzzle games, the quality of New York Times games is so far above the competition that they may as well not exist. ... Since acquiring Wordle, The New York Times has used its gaming product as a funnel to bring subscribers into the Times fold. ... [re: the] games-specific subscription, [there are now] over a million subscribers who specifically pay to access NYT Games content.”
Shrinks Think New York Times’ Wordle Is Becoming a Problem: The Games app is a crutch for some patients, and a stress-inducer for others.Pilar MelendezThe Daily Beast, April 18, 2024https://www.thedailybeast.com/therapists-say-the-new-york-times-wordle-game-is-a-problem
‘New York Times’ and the puzzle warsMarch 31, 2024National Public Radio, All Things Consideredhttps://www.npr.org/2024/03/31/1241923496/new-york-times-and-the-puzzle-warsThe New York Times is dominating a gaming business that many other media organizations are trying to break into. (Five-minute audio; complete transcript at the link.)
NYT Spelling Bee – Game Rules snd HelpWordsRated.com. March 4, 2024https://wordsrated.com/nyt-spelling-bee-game-rules-and-help/
Inside the mind of New York Times Mini maker Joel FaglianoKeith StuartEurogamer, February 25, 2024https://www.eurogamer.net/inside-the-mind-of-new-york-times-mini-maker-joel-faglianoIn this lengthy and detailed interview, there is some discussion of the Spelling Bee, specifically, the internal testing of the Bee and other NYT puzzles.
Games can bring us distraction, satisfactionKaren CysonTimes Writers GroupJanuary 21, 2024https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2024/01/21/karen-cyson-games-can-bring-us-distraction-satisfaction/72267124007/Hi. I’m Karen and I’m a New York Times games addict. (Your response: Hi, Karen)It started simply. I read the paper every day; I saw the mini crossword. I thought: oh, this might be fun and certainly less daunting than the “real” crossword.And so it began.Then someone mentioned that I should try Wordle. …But have you tried Connections? No, I hadn’t. So I did. …Look at the Spelling Bee game. Isn’t it cute? It looks like a sweet little flower, with bees buzzing around it. Beware. Poppies are lovely flowers also, waving in the breeze, bright and pretty. Lovely and addictive. …[worth three minutes of your reading time]
When the NYT Spelling Bee Puzzle Drives You Bonkers with Unacceptable Words.Aria Singh, January 18, 2024https://www.askhandle.com/blog/does-it-make-anyone-else-nuts-when-the-nyt-spelling-bee-puzzle-wont-accept-a-legitimate-word-today-its-rachitic-and-its-making-me-crazy
Thanks to invasive shrubs, birds need a nutrition makeover.The Lakeville (CT) Observer, January 17, 2014https://lakevillejournal.com/thanks-to-invasive-shrubs-birds-need-a-nutrition-makeover“[F]ierce advocates of native plants…identify species almost competitively, the way someone might with the New York Times Spelling Bee.”
How Three Brands Are Using OOH to Amplify Gamification StrategiesAndrew TurnerChief Marketer, January 16, 2024https://chiefmarketer.com/how-three-brands-are-using-ooh-to-amplify-gamification-strategies/A brief look at how three major brands use out of home (OOH) strategies to attract audiences and build brand loyalty. The New York Times games team is highlighted for its 2022 marketing program for the Spelling Bee aimed at transit riders. Read the NYT’s news release about that program here.
The Noble Art of the New York Times Spelling Bee: A healthy, brain-exercising addiction.Amy Abbott via Substack, January 14, 2024https://amyabbott.substack.com/p/the-noble-art-of-the-new-york-times“One of the best things about Spelling Bee is that it is highly unpredictable. There may be days of difficult puzzles, followed by days of difficult puzzles, and vice versa. Repetition doesn’t get a reward, so one is always surprised.”
Every New York Times Game, RankedJacqueline ZalaceThe Gamer, January 12, 2024https://www.thegamer.com/new-york-times-games-ranked/“New York Times puzzles have taken the world by storm. While daily mini-games have always existed, ones like Wordle have really popularized the daily brain game scene. Many of you are familiar with Wordle, but did you know that there are even more NYT games out there? Here, we are going to see how these games stack up against each other. Although this list ranks NYT games from worst to best, it’s important to note that all of these games are great; there is no ‘bad’ option. Still, some are a bit better than others, so we will figure out which games come out victorious.”
Inside the New York Times’ Big Bet on GamesVanity Fair, December 19, 2023Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The Times is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “Times is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”https://www.vanityfair.com/news/inside-the-new-york-times-big-bet-on-gamesPLUSGo behind the scenes of Vanity Fair’s photoshoot with the brains behind the New York Times’ games.a very brief video https://www.vanityfair.com/video/watch/inside-the-new-york-times-growing-wordleverse
Join the Buzz: The New York Times Engages Readers in Creating a Bee-themed DictionaryBaltimore Gay Life, November 18, 2023https://www.baltimoregaylife.com/baltimore-lgbtq-community-news-and-resources-november-18-2023-answers/A short paean to the NYT Spelling Bee and its hivemind. It contains errors, but the tone is cheery and respectful.
A Guide to The New York Times GamesThe Harvard Crimson, November 14, 2023https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/14/nyt-new-york-times-games-crossword-wordle-guide-article/The article consists of a short para on each of several NYT games. On the Spelling Bee, the author notes: “Invented in 2014, the Spelling Bee is a game in which the player must create as many words as possible using seven letters.[*] The word must be at least four letters long, and any letter can be used any number of times, as long as the center letter is included at least once. Once finished, a player can achieve Queen Bee status. The best of the best call themselves ‘The Hivemind,’ who dedicate time to helping others through the game. There is an avid following and excellent community for this game, which adds to its appeal.”
This wouldn’t have anything to do with the Spelling Bee, would it?Lake Placid News, November 11, 2023https://www.lakeplacidnews.com/opinion/columns/2023/10/26/martha-sez-this-wouldnt-have-anything-to-do-with-the-spelling-bee-would-it/“Ever since my neighbor Phyllis found out that her sister had achieved Genius status on the New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle, she has just been impossible.”
How Puzzles and Procrastination Impact Academic Life.The (Arizona) State Press, November 8, 2023https://www.statepress.com/article/2023/11/nyt-games-procrastination-and-academic-stress# “Students share their experiences playing games such as Wordle, Connections, crosswords and Sudoku to decompress from academic pressures” [also mentions the Spelling Bee]
How The New York Times is making connections with puzzles and gamesRob TornoeEditor & PublisherOctober 17, 2023https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/new-york-times-makes-a-connection-with-puzzles-and-games,246051
‘I’m Somewhat of a Gamer Now Myself,’ Says Mom Referring To New York Times Spelling BeeJus KaplanHard Drive, October 12, 2023https://hard-drive.net/hd/video-games/im-somewhat-of-a-gamer-now-myself-says-mom-referring-to-new-york-times-spelling-bee/“Steph is hands down the best Spelling Bee player in our office. Every day our team does the puzzle during lunch and she always guesses the pangram way before anyone else,” said Vaughn. “She has been getting a bit carried away recently, though. Yesterday when our manager couldn’t make it past the ‘Solid’ rank, she laughed and said ‘Get good, noob’ in front of everyone. Then when she reached ‘Genius’ she stood up and shouted ‘G-G-E-Z’, whatever that means. It was kind of startling.”
The Cultural Tapestry of the New York Times Spelling BeeNewsbreak, October 10, 2023https://original.newsbreak.com/@author-1782049/3190353010048-the-cultural-tapestry-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee
Spelling Bee’s evolving word listAxios, June 5, 2023https://www.axios.com/2023/06/05/spelling-bee-evolving-word-list
A world beyond Wordle: how games became a big deal at the New York TimesKeith StuartEuroGamer, April 2, 2023https://www.eurogamer.net/a-world-beyond-wordle-how-games-became-a-big-deal-at-the-new-york-timesThis is lengthy, thoughtful interview with Jonathan Knight, who heads up the NYT’s Games division. Interesting quote: “On something like Spelling Bee, we have an editor, Sam Ezersky, who curates that everyday and he has a specific lens - he wants to make sure that all the possible words are recognisable and that you’re not held back because you don’t know some completely obscure word - but he also wants to make sure he’s not banning obscure words that are legitimate. Every week there’s a furore over some word that he banned that should have been allowed. There’s a balance there between challenge and fun, and we want you to feel great when you solve the puzzle.”
‘The next level for us’: The New York Times eyes better retention for games in subscription driveSeb JosephDigiday, March 22, 2023https://digiday.com/media/the-next-level-for-us-the-new-york-times-eyes-longer-play-sessions-for-games-in-subscription-drive/
How the New York Times is building a games platform around WordleGamesBeat, February 18, 2023https://venturebeat.com/games/how-the-new-york-times-is-expanding-into-puzzle-games-like-wordle/Transcript of an interview with Jonathan Knight, head of NYT’s games division.
Are You A NYT Spelling Bee Addict, Too?Stacey EskelinCappuccino (Substack), January 28, 2023https://cappuccino.substack.com/p/are-you-a-nyt-spelling-bee-addictA very funny article that also includes tips and tricks and this pithy observation: “Acceptable words do not include words that are hyphenated, a proper noun, or that qualify as ‘obscure,’ except when they’re totally obscure, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
From The 15th Annual Shorty Awards: The New York Times Games Spelling Bee Audience Honor In Local Campaign [2023]https://shortyawards.com/15th/the-new-york-times-games-spelling-bee “The Spelling Bee Forum, where players discuss the daily puzzle, share gameplay tips and list solution hints with each other, has become the most visited page of The New York Times every single day. We [at NYT] wanted to help new players discover this passionate community and love of the game by driving trial of Spelling Bee to bring new players into the game and expand the hive.”
How to Win the New York Times Spelling Bee Every Single TimeGael Fashingbauer CooperCNET, July 19, 2022https://www.cnet.com/culture/how-to-win-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-every-single-time/
queen bees and geniusesJane C. Hu The Last Word on Nothing (shared writers’ blog), July 13, 2022https://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2022/07/13/queen-bees-and-geniuses/“I have become so dependent on this habit of mine that last weekend, upon waking up in the forest, I realized I had no reception and felt a twinge of disappointment that I couldn’t do Spelling Bee while drinking my instant coffee.”
A Ludicrously Deep Dive Into the Birds of Spelling Bee, Wordle, Scrabble, and MoreAudubon Magazine, May 2, 2022https://www.audubon.org/news/a-ludicrously-deep-dive-birds-spelling-bee-wordle-scrabble-and-more
How Wordle brought us back together: Spelling Bee, too, and Words with Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?Schuyler VelascoExperience Magazine, May 2022https://expmag.com/2022/05/how-wordle-brought-us-back-together/
How Word Puzzles Tickle the Brain and Satisfy the SoulA.J. JacobsLiterary Hub, April 27, 2022https://lithub.com/how-word-puzzles-tickle-the-brain-and-satisfy-the-soul/A delightful article combining one player’s middle-of-the-night word finding with an interview with the puzzle editor.
What is the ‘New York Times’ Spelling Bee Game?Liam McEneaneyWGTC, March 2, 2022https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/what-is-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game/ While Wordle retains buzz among Nerdles, the New York Times’ Spelling Bee has an equally passionate fanbase. …the open chat forum that runs alongside the puzzle on theTimes site can become a hive of controversy, as players give each other clues and argue amongst each other about the unfairness of posting “spoilers,” as well as the futility of asking strangers on the Internet not to post spoilers. Befitting the readership of a paper nicknamed “The Grey Lady,” these arguments are often more genteel — and far more accurately-spelled — than similar quarrels on open bulletin boards like Reddit.
Leadership Lessons Courtesy of The New York Times Spelling BeeCause and Effect Strategies, March 2, 2022https://causeandeffectstrategies.com/blog/leadership-lessons-courtesy-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee“Some days, the SB is a slog of boring short words or uninteresting suffixes. I delight in finding long words, whether compound or not, and stopping every once in a while to clear my head, stare at the letters, and wait for my brain to see something new. At the bottom of the app screen, between the “delete” and “enter” buttons, is an icon with two arrows forming a circle. Tap it, and it rearranges the letters. And with that, the SB offers a simple, elegant lesson for us all: When you’re stuck on a problem, just try looking at it in a different way.”
Finding the Hardest Spelling Bee Puzzle: An Unnecessarily Detailed Analysis of Word Puzzles From The New York TimesMarch, 2022 https://christopherwolfram.com/projects/spelling-bee/ “The rules are so simple that the game sounds trivial, but it isn’t (at least for us humans). This got me thinking about mathematically modeling difficulty in Spelling Bee puzzles, which led me down the rabbit hole of exploring the space of all possible Spelling Bee puzzles, and how the puzzles published by The New York Times fit into that space. Along the way, I found the easiest and hardest possible puzzles (as well as the easiest and hardest that The New York Times has ever published), and lots of other results in this unnecessarily detailed analysis of the Spelling Bee. ...” [A quick scan revealed some misconceptions about the Bee (e.g., “the goal is to list as many words as possible” and “The objective is to get the highest possible score” and “there is no fixed score required to “win”) and the author seems to have failed to notice that the Bee never includes E+R.]
Beyond Wordle: The New York Times Games Section, Explained: Wordle joins an impressive roster of brain bafflers including Spelling Bee and the New York Times crossword.Dan AveryCNET, February 21, 2022https://www.cnet.com/culture/internet/beyond-wordle-best-word-games-in-the-new-york-times/
5 lessons about innovation from the New York Times spelling bee: When you think you’ve thought of everything, you haven’t.Jake CarterFast Company, February 9, 2022https://www.fastcompany.com/90720208/5-lessons-about-innovation-from-the-new-york-times-spelling-beeAs someone who spends my days helping companies think about innovation, I can’t help but see similarities between the word game and best practices around the process of ideation. Given that, [here] are five ideation lessons you can learn from the NYT Spelling Bee.
To Bee or Not to Bee: A writer questions her confounding addiction to the popular New York Times word game — especially at 3 a.m.Liane Kupferberg CarterNext Avenue, February 9, 2022https://www.nextavenue.org/to-bee-or-not-to-bee/“Spelling Bee, I just can’t quit you. I’ve been sucked into a black hole. Utterly possessed. Even in my sleep, I’m seeing honeycomb grids and combining letters. Last night I was so elated dreaming that I’d found the words “inculcate” and “indoctrinate” that it made me wonder if it’s time for an intervention.”
Who Will Win the War of the Wordles? Letter puzzles have taken over social media. Is it an innocent pastime or etymological bloodsport?Christopher BonanosTown and Country, January 31, 2022https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38899912/wordle-spelling-bee-games/ “Wordle lets you brag about how efficiently you solved it that day; Spelling Bee additionally lets you brag about not solving it because you know too much.”
What we’re obsessed with right now: The New York Times’ Spelling BeeNina GarinSan Diego Union-Tribune, January 16, 2022https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/story/2022-01-16/what-were-obsessed-with-right-now-new-york-times-spelling-bee
New York Times newsroom rocked by a new public rift — over Spelling Bee gameBy Social Links forOli ColemanNew York Post, October 14, 2021, updated October 15, 2021https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/nyt-newsroom-rocked-by-a-new-public-rift-over-spelling-bee-game/Obviously tongue-in-cheek.
The bee in my bonnet: Beeatrice Buzzby is prudish, politically correct, mildly woke, and probably suffering from selective cultural blindnessThe Hindu, September 17, 2021 [paywalled]https://www.thehindu.com/society/the-bee-in-my-bonnet/article36510266.ece
Facing Post-Trump Slowdown, New York Times Eyes $100 Billion Games MarketBloomberg, March 18, 2021https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-18/new-york-times-games-spelling-bee-the-mini-offset-news-slowdown#xj4y7vzkgpaywalled, but the text is here:https://jacklimpert.com/2021/03/new-york-times-13/“The most searched-for terms on the New York Times website [in 2020] weren’t ‘Trump’ or ‘Biden’ or even ‘coronavirus.’ They were ‘crosswords’ and ‘Spelling Bee.’”
To Bee or Not to Bee?Nancy FriedmanVocabulary.com blog, March 18, 2021https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/candlepwr/to-bee-or-not-to-bee/
Style Conversational Week 1428: Return of the Seven: The Empress of the Style Invitational -- plus NYT Spelling Bee man Ezersky -- on this week’s neologismsWashington Post, March 18, 2021https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/03/18/style-conversational-week-1428-return-seven/
On Bee-ingSteven HellerDesign Observer, December 23, 2020https://designobserver.com/feature/on-bee-ing/40373A designer’s “addiction” to the New York Times Spelling Bee, which he calls “equal parts joy and torture.”
secrets of the spelling beeNothing to Prove (blog), November 16, 2020https://mattomath.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/secrets-of-the-spelling-bee/Interesting statistics and speculations about the Bee lexicon and the rates at which words are added
The New York Times Spelling Bee game makes sense during these scrambled timesJim MemmottRochester Democrat and Chronicle, August 24, 2020https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/memmott/2020/08/24/the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game-makes-sense-during-these-scrambled-times/113474864/My wife stares at a computer screen. “I’m great,” she says, frustration evident. I know at this moment that she’s working through The New York Times game called Spelling Bee.
Spelling Bee: Why I’m Completely Obsessed with The Best Puzzle on The InternetGrazia, July 25, 2020https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/in-the-news/new-york-times-spelling-bee/
The NYT Spelling Bee Gives Me L-I-F-E. In the real world, I am me. In Bee world I’m an Amazing! Genius!Slate, February 19, 2020https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/02/spelling-bee-new-york-times-praise.html